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https://theconversation.com/koalas-need-their-booster-shots-too-heres-a-way-to-beat-chlamydia-with-just-1-capture-and-less-trauma-211610>
"Chlamydia is a major threat to koala populations across Australia. This
bacterial disease infects between 20% and 90% of individuals in koala
populations. It’s a major cause of the rapid decline of many wild populations,
particularly in South-East Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Our group at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has developed two
vaccines to target chlamydial infections. One of these vaccines, now being
trialled in collaboration with Dr Michael Pyne and his staff at Currumbin
Wildlife Hospital, has recently had some outstanding results in a wild koala
population on the Gold Coast. This population had been declining rapidly due to
high rates of the disease.
Two years into the five-year trial, we have seen more than 25 joeys born to
vaccinated females. The program involved vaccinating, collaring and releasing
10-20% of young animals each year. All joeys and mums were chlamydia-free. In
addition, 11 out of 13 young males vaccinated remain negative at 12–24 months
after vaccination.
Like most vaccines, however, this vaccine requires two shots, 30 days apart.
This means wild animals must be held in captivity for a month, which many don’t
like, or released and recaptured for the booster dose. This is both expensive
and traumatic for the animals.
It was during a chat over coffee a few years ago that we first pondered the
question, “Could we develop a delayed-release vaccine implant that is given at
the same time as the first vaccine and releases the booster vaccine dose 30
days later?”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
